Please help

Bigbird,

A 6cm tumor is on the high side of small and needs to be addressed. Given the size it should be addressed immeadiately as masses that size are probably malignant and if left to grow only increase the chances of bad things happening. Not fun hearing that you may have kidney cancer and they want to take your kidney out. That was me 14 and 1/2 years ago. We all have been there and know how you feel. We will help you thru this.

Icemantoo

When we're diagnosed, we all think of the worst case.  I actually read my diagnosis before my primary care doctor got it, as I got the report directly from the radiologist.  It said suspicious for renal cell carcinoma.  Carcinoma.....a form of the C word.  I'll tell you.....I literally shook with fear.  My wife and I went to my primary doctor's office and I practically shoved the paper down his throat and said WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  He explained it (and I later verified with my sister) what it was and how it was treated.  And he was very nonchalant about the treatment.  Oh, since your lesion is small (1.5cm), they'll probably do a laparoscopic on you.  It's very easy.  I looked at him and reminded him what my father, a former patient of his, used to say.  A minor operation is one that's on someone else.  He chuckled, as he and my dad got along great.  And then when he referred me to the urological oncologist, that guy was even more nonchalant and very, very reassuring.  Bird, yes, cancer of any kind is serious.  But kidney cancer is very, very treatable these days.  I'm proof of that.  Iceman, who commented up above, is also proof of that.  He had his entire kidney removed 14 years ago and he's still here and, from all indications, very healthy.  There are a lot of people on this site who are proof that kidney cancer can be beaten.  As Jan says, we'll all be here for you.  The other folks on here have a lot more information than I do.  I'm kind of a new kid on the block, having undergone my surgery on June 22nd.  I actually didn't find this site until after my operation.  I wish I had found it before. 

Bigbird73 said:

I honestly know that what

I honestly know that what ever it is I'm not giving up I have 3 amazing kids and 3 beautiful granddaughters that need me as I do them thank you so much for your replys it is reassuring to know that even at 3 am English time that there is someone in the world to listen to me to give advice the hardest thing is in November a good friend who is older than me was diagnosed with incurable metastatic melanoma that has spread to her lymph node both lungs her liver and we find out Friday if it has spread to her bones I have dedicated myself to her going to every appointment scan ect hers is incurable and she thinks that they have it all wrong she has a condition called long qt syndrome which limits treatment and makes her unable to have surgery but it not wrong diagnosis I was scared about what's to come but I'm not now I have found this site thank you all xxx

Bird, it's always a good idea to have someone go with you to your appointments. Glad you're the go-along person for your friend.  Do remember to take someone along to your appointments, too. 

RCC (Renal Cell Carcinoma) is not metastatic melanoma. The treatments are quite different.  Typically you find out IF what you have is RCC after you have the mass taken out, because biopsies aren't done. The good news is, this isn't kudzu (Wait: I'm not sure if that's good news to you in England -- Here in the US kudzu is an invasive vine that grows like crazy especially in the South). This stuff grows slowly. First it's generally treated with surgery. You may or may not need additional treatments after that. 

I'd say it's definitely not a matter of deciding whether to "give up" or not.  It's more a choice of taking care of health matters and living your life. 

Keep us posted,

Jerzy

Hi Bigbird, don't worry about it at this point, but make sure you have a good team following up on you. Since it is a complex cyst and you had a CT scan (I assume it is done with/without contrast?). Did they categorize it with the Bosinak scale, since the treatment plan will be based on how complex it is. Bare in mind that not all complex cysts are related to the C word, especially the less complicated ones Bosniak II or IIF.

Good luck!

Maybe Japanese Bind-weed? I'll agree with everthing everyone else has said. The main thing is not to panic: your imagination is not your friend at this moment. You are almost certain to imagine something far worse than you will experience. You said you provided support for your friend, make sure that you have support for yourself. Should you chase up your referral (I dont know about you but I'd rather have my fingernails removed than do this - the yanks seem rather good at it) unequivicably YES. Uncertainty is pretty much the worst thing for you at the moment. I'd bet your GP will be your ally in this and hurry things on as much as they can.

Any way. DONT PANIC. I had a bigger lump when diagnosed on May 1st 2013 and I'm still annoying my neighbours with my harmonica playing.

ONE LAST THING Dont google this. Its almost worst than the dark recesses of you imagination. It is all out of date or crazy, or both. This is a good site, there is another called Smart patients which is a little more technical. I think the Royal Marsden has a site and links as well.

Good luck. Keep in touch, you are not on your own.